The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for browsing objects in a surrounding area to receive information about those objects and, more particularly, picking out objects visually in immediate surroundings using optical and wireless means to obtain Internet type information concerning those objects.
In the prior art, it is known to utilize location or map information of a user containing a mobile web-enabled browsing device to obtain information concerning the user's surroundings. Such conventional location or map based technologies employ either global satellite positioning or signals between a user and a cellular/wireless provider network cell antenna to determine the locational information concerning the user. The user will then receive information typically via the cellular/wireless network concerning the users immediate surroundings, such as website information in a wireless application protocol format or any other known wireless browsing formats. Such conventional map or location based technologies, however, have limitations in that specific objects in the user's line of site in the immediate surroundings of the user may not be specifically described in information sent to the user nor does the user have a means to select particular objects of interest.